Keep Holding On
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: The NHL has announced another lockout. What are the Washington Capitals to do? Well…form a band of course! But what happens when a crazy ex-girlfriend and jealous teammates threaten to tear them all apart? See inside for full summary!
1. Lockout

**The NHL has announced another lockout. What are the Washington Capitals to do? Well…form a band of course! After Coach Boudreau makes the dreaded announcement, the Capitals come together to form a brand new band to keep themselves busy and to keep their fans happy. Hard work and determination propel the Capitals to superstardom…but things get complicated when two young women find themselves falling in love with some of the players. Friendships will be tested as various players make some of the biggest mistakes of their lives. As things threaten to collapse around them, will the Capitals pull through together or will they fall apart completely? What happens when the NHL season restarts? Will the team be able to move past their differences, complications and mistakes or will the team be forced to restructure entirely?**

"This seriously cannot be happening again," said Mike Green, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"No one needs to panic," said Capitals Coach, Bruce Boudreau as he addressed his team in the locker room of the Kettler Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia, "This is just how things are going to have to be…for how long I don't know. It looks like…like there won't be any hockey this season."

Curses and cries of shock echoed through the locker room as the players absorbed Boudreau's message. The Coach sighed as he turned to leave the locker room. It was probably best that he left his team to deal with the news on their own for now. He himself needed to figure out what he was going to do during the lockout. It had been about six years since the NHL lockout had occurred and the league thought it would be the end of the dispute. However, the same issue had arisen once again and the players found themselves suddenly without jobs for the NHL season.

"Everyone just take it easy," said Jason Arnott, trying to be the sensible one of the group, "I'm sure everything's going to be okay. It sucks right now but it's not like we all just lost our jobs or anything."

Matt Bradley scoffed at that, "Yeah right…do you remember what happened the last time this went down? The restructured the whole damn team! They got rid of Peter Bondra then."

The team began to murmur anxiously as they contemplated what this could mean for all of them.

"Yeah but we sucked back then," argued Jason Chimera, "We had to restructure back then…now we don't suck. Maybe they'll just wait this out and we'll start again next year."

Ovechkin cursed loudly as he threw his helmet across the locker room, "Damn it! What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Yeah what do we do now?" asked Nicklas Backstrom, "Do we all go back home?"

The players looked around at each other with sadness in their eyes. They had all just arrived from their respective countries and did not want to leave one another so soon.

"What else can we do?" asked Mike Green, looking dejected, "It's not like any of us are that good at anything else…we're hockey players. What the hell else can we do?"

"You can play the drums," suggested Alex Semin, trying to be helpful.

Brooks snickered, "Define 'play'."

Mike pretended to punch his best friend, "Shut up…I just need a little more practice. I don't have time to really do much with the drums during the hockey season."

"Well you have time now," continued Semin, "And Brooks, you can play the guitar. Ovechkin can sing hard rock songs pretty good…Carlson can play the electric guitar and I play acoustic. Backy's good at the keyboard."

Mike raised an eyebrow at Semin, "What are you trying to get at, Sasha?"

Semin shrugged, "I mean…maybe we could all practice for a while and maybe if we get good enough…form a band? That might appease our fans. They're all gonna be so pissed when they hear the NHL is going through another lockout. Maybe hearing they're favorite players in a band would help?"

"Hell, that's not that bad of an idea," added Matt Bradley, "I'm pretty good with a sound board. I can run the sound systems…Arnott said he used to do theater back in the day. Maybe you could do the lighting Jason?"

Arnott nodded, "Yeah…yeah sure. If you guys actually manage to pull this off count me in."

"Hey! I used to be in a band in high school," piped up Mathieu Perreault, "I was the DJ…I used to make all sorts of mixes and stuff. I can do that!"

"Sounds like we got ourselves a band," said Mike Green with an excited grin on his face.

"We got a lot of work to do," added Ovechkin, "But…I think we can pull this off."

"I say we hold practices in the mornings like we do for hockey," said Semin, "Then the afternoons we can practice on our own and work on whatever we need to individually."

"Should we ask Boudreau to be our manager?" suggested Backstrom, "The poor guy's gonna need something to do."

"And McPhee and Smitty," added Brooks Laich, "McPhee's gonna be so bored…and Smitty can take care of us if anyone gets sick or has any injuries."

"This could very well be the best idea you have ever had, Sasha," said Brooks Laich as he put an arm around Alex Semin's shoulders.

Semin just smirked, "I try…what can I say? When you got it, you got it!"

The team laughed as they started planning their first practice. Although there wouldn't be a hockey season this year, at least they found something to keep them busy and to make the fans happy.

But little did they know what was in store for them in the future…

…

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	2. Let Me Hear You Scream

**Author's Note: The song/lyrics used in this chapter are by Ozzy Ozbourne. I do not own the lyrics/music!**

_Four weeks later…_

"Nicole!"

Nicole moaned as she grabbed her pillow and put it over her ears to drown out her best friend's shrill screams.

"NICOLE!"

"I swear I'm going to kill you, Ashley," growled Nicole as she curled up into a tight ball on her small, dorm-room bed.

"Nicole I promise you'll understand if you just WAKE UP!" shouted Ashley as she bounced from one foot to the other in excitement, "It's about the Capitals!"

Nicole opened one eye at that and glared up at Ashley, "What about them? The NHL went into lockout remember? I thought I told you not to mention it…its too painful to talk about. What am I supposed to do without hockey?"

"They formed a band!" blurted out Ashley, no longer able to keep it in, "It's all over the NHL and Caps website! The guys got together and made a band!"

Nicole sat up quickly, her dark brown hair a tangled mess and her eyes still blinking away sleep.

"They _what_?"

"They formed a band! It says the Caps were trying to find a way to keep themselves busy during the lockout and this is what they came up with!"

"Ashley…you do realize that they suck at the whole singing thing right?" asked Nicole, still looking rather confused, "Remember the Mike Green and Brooks Laich Cribs video we saw? They're terrible."

Ashley rolled her eyes at Nicole, "Oh please, it says they've been practicing all day every day for the past month. I'm sure they're better by now. And besides, who cares? We can go to a concert! We still get to see the boys! While the rest of the NHL world is sitting at home crying about it, we still get our men!"

Nicole smirked as she watched her friend dance around the room. She shook her head, "You're ridiculous."

"Oh don't pretend like you aren't as pumped as I am!" sneered Ashley as she shot her friend a playful glare, "You know you wanna see Mike Green playing the drums in a tight shirt…or shirtless."

Nicole blushed furiously at that as she glared at her friend, "Oh shut up. When's their first concert?"

"It says it'll be at the Verizon Center next week! We have to go! Nicole we HAVE TO GO!"

"Okay, okay!" said Nicole, wincing at her friend's shrill shrieks, "Don't blow my eardrums! Fine…I'll see what I can do."

"Yay!" exclaimed Ashley as she danced around the room again.

Nicole just rolled her eyes as she pulled the covers back over her eyes and went back to sleep.

…

"Dude, Mike and Brooks are freakin' awesome!" exclaimed John Carlson as he watched Mike Green and Brooks Laich practice, "They're timing is perfect!"

"Thank God," muttered Semin as he rolled his eyes, "A few weeks ago they could've raised the dead with that racket."

Ovechkin laughed at his fellow Russian teammate as he set up the microphone at the Kettler Iceplex. The Capitals had turned their room where they were briefed on the opposing NHL teams into a practice room for their new band. Jason Arnott and Matt Bradley were messing around with the soundboard and the lighting and discussing how to arrange things in Verizon later that week. Mathieu Perreault was busy making a few mixes to blend in with the instruments and Carlson and Semin were tweaking their guitars. Backstrom was busy jamming out to a tune on his keyboard while the coaching staff observed their team's progress.

"Well…it's better than sitting at home and watching TV all day I guess," said Coach Boudreau with a smirk.

"You know…so many things could go wrong with this," said Smitty with a frown.

"Oh god, lay off Bad-News-Smitty," said Capitals' GM George McPhee with a grimace, "For once could you give us some good information? Or at least be a tad optimistic. At least the guys aren't out partying and getting drunk."

"Well," snapped Smitty with an annoyed look on his face, "Actually I heard Semin saying how great this club was downtown they all went to last night…"

"I swear I'm going to smack you one day," growled McPhee, much to Boudreau's amusement.

"Hey!" shouted Ovechkin in his thick, Russian accent, "You guys ready? We going to play first song for you! This is our best…you like it!"

"Brace yourselves," said Smitty as he sighed.

McPhee pretended to try and strangle Smitty from behind while Boudreau laughed and motioned for his team to go ahead and start.

The guys all took their positions: Green on drums, Laich, Semin and Carlson on guitar and vocals, Backstrom on the keyboard, Perreault on the mixer, Bradley and Arnott on sound and lighting and Ovechkin front and center for lead vocals.

"This should be interesting," muttered Boudreau as the music began.

The electric guitars blared loudly as Mike set the tone with the beat of the drum. Ovechkin stepped up to the microphone and began to belt out the lyrics to the song with Brooks Laich, Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson singing backup:

"Let me hear you scream!

I'm black and bruised, beat up, but still I take the blows

'Cause all I need is blood and sweat and skin and bones!

I'll take this rage,

Rattle your cage,

Nobody said it's easy!

It's do or die,

Only the strong survive!

Get ready for the last stand!

Get ready, I'm your hangman!

Let me hear you scream like you want it!

Let me hear you yell like you mean it!

If you're gonna go down:

Go loud!

Go strong!

Go proud!

Go on!

Go hard or go home!

Let me hear you-

(Let me hear you-)

Let me hear you-

(Let me hear you-)

Let me hear you scream!

I'll pull you up and push you right back in your place!

I'll take you down and wipe that smile right off your face!

I'll watch you break,

Your mine to take,

Don't blink; you just might miss it!

It's all or nothing,

Nowhere left to run!

Are you ready for the last fight!

Get ready with the war cry!

Let me hear you scream like you want it!

Let me hear you yell like you mean it!

If you're gonna go down:

Go loud!

Go strong!

Go proud!

Go on!

Go hard or go home!

Let me hear you-

(Let me hear you-)

Let me hear you-

(Let me hear you-)

Let me hear you scream!

Let me hear you scream like you want it!

Let me hear you yell like you mean it!

If you're gonna go down:

Go loud!

Go strong!

Go proud!

Go on!

Go hard or go home!

Let me hear you scream like you want it!

Let me hear you yell like you mean it!

If you're gonna go down:

Go loud!

Go strong!

Go proud!

Go on!

Go hard or go home!

Let me hear you-

(Let me hear you-)

Let me hear you-

(Let me hear you-)

Let me hear you scream!"

The coaching staff was on their feet before the music ended, cheering their team loudly. By the looks on their faces the Capitals knew they had impressed their bosses. They all gave each other excited glances as they waited for their boss' review.

"I cannot wait for the first concert!" shouted McPhee, "The fans are gonna go nuts for this!"

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Boudreau, "Holy freakin' shit!"

"You know…they aren't too bad," said Smitty.

"You even got Smitty to say something nice!" laughed McPhee.

"Hell yeah!" shouted Ovechkin as he turned to give his teammates high-fives, "Next week boys! Next week we show everyone we not just superstars…we are rock stars!"

…

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	3. Mike's Crazy ExGirlfriend

"This is going to take a freaking year," grumbled a tired-looking Matt Bradley as he looked over to where Ovechkin was pacing around and talking animatedly to the rest of the band.

"We must come up with good name!" he exclaimed as he passed by for the tenth time, "Something with red in it…something that says…we are passionate, original maybe."

"I like Red Intoxication," said Semin as he glanced around the room.

"That makes us sound like alcoholics," said Mike Green with a sigh. They had been at this for the past three hours and it was starting to get old. All he wanted to do was play the drums.

"What about Red Fury?" suggested Backstrom.

"That just sounds like we're all pissed off," said John Carlson with a smirk.

"Well we are!" said Mike Green, in defense of Nicklas, "We're all pissed there's no hockey this year….damn lockout."

Mathieu Perreault nodded in agreement with Mike as he glanced over at Jason Arnott.

"I say we through Ovechkin's name in there somewhere," suggested Arnott, "I mean, he is our captain and the best player in the league and our lead singer."

Ovechkin grinned excitedly at that, "Ah! Yes! With my name! I like!"

"You would," smirked Semin as he playfully punched his friend in the arm.

"Ovechkin and the…the Red…" said Bradley as he tried to formulate a name.

"Ovechkin and the Red…fury? Red fighters? Red Rockers?" suggested Carlson.

"I like Red Rockers," said Mathieu Perreault, "But that's the name of our cheerleaders…we might take some flak for that."

"How about…Ovechkin and the Red Tide?" suggested Semin after a moment, "I mean…it would work. Reminds me of the Verizon Center on game day."

"I like it!" exclaimed Perreault with an excited grin on his face.

"It's kinda catchy," agreed Backstrom, "I think the fans would like it."

"It'd make for some great t-shirts too," said Bradley with a smirk on his face, "We could come up with some pretty sweet designs."

"All in favor of Ovechkin and the Red Tide raise your hands!" shouted Ovechkin.

It was a unanimous decision: The Washington Capitals band would be called Ovechkin and the Red Tide.

…

"Oh…my….gosh," stammered a shocked-looking Ashley as she gawked at her cell phone.

"What?" asked Nicole, just walking back into the dorm from her evening class.

"I…I just won backstage passes to the Washington Capitals' first concert!" screamed Ashley as she jumped up out of her desk chair.

"You _what?_" exclaimed Nicole in excitement, "Oh my gosh! Are you serious?"

"Yes! Ah! I just got the text message! I won the drawing!"

Nicole shook her head in disbelief, "You _would_ win the passes!" she said with a laugh, "You always win those contest things."

"Well you're going with me!" said Ashley with a huge grin plastered on her face, "Then we can finally meet our men! Just think…you may get some one on one time with Mike Green."

Nicole felt herself blush at that as she began to jump up and down in excitement with her best friend. They were about to hang out with their heroes…the Washington Capitals.

…

"I swear I'm going to just scream," growled a very flustered Mike Green as he walked into the Kettler Iceplex the next morning.

"What's going on, buddy?" asked Brooks Laich, Mike Green's best friend and teammate.

"It's Emily," muttered Mike as he ran a hand through his messy, dark brown hair. His liquid brown eyes were troubled and distant as he glanced over at his best friend and then back down at his cell phone.

Brooks Laich froze when he heard that name, "Emily? What the hell? I thought you said you changed your phone number?"

"I did," said Mike as he gave his best friend a nervous look, "The question is how the hell did she get it again?"

"Did she call you?"

"No…she keeps texting me," said Mike as he began to fidget, "All this crap about how she still cares about me and wants me back and all that shit."

Brooks shook his head and sighed, "Man, Mike dude you have a serious problem. I think you need to call the cops on this one."

Mike sneered at that, "Oh yeah that's real tough…big, bad NHL defenseman calls the cops because he can't handle his ex-girlfriend. I'm sure that'll go over real well with the rest of the team and the rest of the world for that matter."

"Yeah, but Mike…she's freaking psycho," insisted Brooks as he led Mike into the back room where the guys were setting up their instruments, "I remember what she was like when you guys dated…she was obsessed with you…like really, really obsessed. The girl has something wrong upstairs and she needs help. If this goes on much longer, Mike you gotta talk to someone. Otherwise she may really go off the deep end."

Mike sighed as he nodded in agreement, "Man why did I get stuck with the psycho ex-girlfriend?"

Brooks laughed, "Because, Mike that's how your life works."

"Gee thanks for the pep talk," said Mike as he playfully elbowed his best friend.

Brooks laughed as they walked into the room. The guys cheered as they entered and prepared to start their morning practice session. They only had a few more days before their first big performance and they were starting to get excited. So far things were going without a hitch. As long as things went according to plan…this could very easily be the biggest thing the Washington Capitals had done in a very long time…

…

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	4. Mike I Think We Have a Problem

_Five Days Later…_

"Mike…we have a problem," growled an angry and frustrated looking Brooks Laich as he walked into the Washington Capitals locker room at the Verizon Center in downtown D.C. The guys were gearing up for their concert in their old locker room and waiting for the cue to head to the stage. They could already hear the fans pouring into the massive stadium to hear their team's brand new band.

Mike looked up when he heard the tone in his best friend's voice. Brooks was never one to exaggerate. He got right to the point right away and never overreacted to anything, so the angry and nervous note in his voice instantly concerned Mike.

"What's going on?" he asked, his brow furrowed as he studied Brooks' facial expression.

"She's here," growled Brooks as he gave Mike a knowing look.

It took Mike only a second to realize who Brooks was referring to.

"Who's here?" asked innocent Mathieu Perreault with an excited grin on his face, "Are they fan girls? Are they hot?"

"No," said Mike in a dark tone, "It's my psychotic ex-girlfriend."

Perreault's smile vanished from his face but only for a second before he replied, "Oh…is _she_ hot?"

"Oh my gawd," muttered Bradley as he pushed Perreault to the side, "Get a hold of your hormones kid. And no she's a freaking spaz. What the hell is she doing here Mike?"

"It's not like I invited her or anything," snapped Mike, instantly irritable.

"Well get her out of here," ordered Ovechkin, "We have big show tonight…no time for stupid girls."

"This coming from you?" asked Semin as he raised an eyebrow at his best friend.

Ovechkin threw a fake punch at Alex Semin who laughed as he ducked out of the way.

"Yeah I'll take care of it," muttered Mike as he glanced back over at Brooks Laich.

Brooks frowned at his best friend and gave him a stern look.

"I said I'll take care of it," snapped Mike.

"You need to take care of it for good, Mikey," said Brooks, his eyes softening in concern, "She's stalking you dude…she's crazy. Let the cops handle this."

"I'm not letting cops take care of my ex-girlfriend," sneered Mike, "That's just embarrassing."

"This is only going to get worse," protested Brooks as he put a hand on Mike's shoulder, stopping him from leaving.

"I can handle it," growled Mike as he pulled away and left the locker room.

Brooks Laich watched Mike leave with a worried expression on his face. No good could possibly come from Mike Green's ex stalking him. Brooks just prayed that this was all she was doing…following him. He prayed silently that she didn't escalate her antics to any more than that…

…

"Mike!" squealed a tiny little blonde girl as Mike slipped out of the locker room.

Mike frowned as he looked down at Emily, "What are you doing here, Emily?"

"I just…I had to see you," said Emily with tears forming in her eyes, "I know things didn't end…didn't end right between us. I want to make up for that."

"For what? For obsessing over me? For following me to every game and every practice? For clinging on to me every second you could? Emily you smothered me…I couldn't handle it. It's over, please just accept that and move on with your life."

Emily looked like someone had just struck her. She flinched under Mike's hard words and took a step back.

"Mike…I just wanted to say I was sorry."

"And you did…so now you can leave," snapped Mike, "Don't call me, don't text me…and don't you dare do this ever again. I don't have time for this shit, Emily. Just…move on, alright?"

Emily wiped a tear from her face as she turned to leave, "I'll never stop loving you, Mike Green…never."

Mike shuddered at those words as he watched Emily walk away. He silently cursed himself for ever liking that crazy girl. He should have known better…hell he should have known from day one she wasn't all there. He shook his head and forced himself to clear his thoughts of Emily. He needed to focus on the performance tonight. The guys were counting on him. He took a deep breath and slipped back into the locker room.

"So?" prompted Brooks as Mike made his way over to the locker next to his, "How'd it go?"

Mike shrugged, "She apologized, I told her to move on then she left. The end."

Brooks frowned, "Did she say anything that sounded like she would keep this up?"

Mike hesitated just long enough for Brooks to realize his friend was hiding something.

"Shit…Mike what the hell? What did she say?"

Mike took a deep breath, "She…she said she'd never stop loving me."

Brooks cursed at that as he slammed his locker shut, "Damn it, Mike how much more evidence do you need? The girl is seriously screwed up. Call someone…before something really crazy does go down. I think the media would have more of a field day with your crazy ex if she actually does something crazy than if you just report her to the cops."

"I can handle her, Brooks…just drop it for now okay? We have more important things to think about right now."

Brooks frowned, "Fine, Mike but you can't ignore this forever. It's not just going to magically disappear you know."

Mike just nodded curtly as he changed into his stage clothes. Deep down he knew his best friend was right…he just wasn't willing to admit that he had a real problem on his hands…

…

Nicole and Ashley squirmed excitedly in their front row seats. They could barely believe their luck. They knew they had won the backstage passes but they had no idea that they had also gotten front row tickets as well.

"I cannot believe this," said Nicole in an astonished whisper, "This is seriously like a dream…this is unbelievable!"

Ashley just squealed as she nodded in agreement.

"I mean…this is a once in a lifetime thing!" continued Nicole, still in shock, "This is seriously the best road trip ever!"

"And we get to see the guys afterwards!" said Ashley with a huge grin on her face, "This is so awesome! I'm shaking I'm so excited!"

Nicole nodded in agreement just as the lights dimmed and the building began to roar with excitement. Red spotlights turned on and began to circle around the audience as the opening music began. Little did Nicole and Ashley know just how unforgettable this night was going to be…

…

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	5. Conflicting Chemistry

Nicole and Ashley started screaming when they saw dark figures emerge onto the stage. Suddenly the lights lit up behind them, revealing who they were. The entire Verizon Center roared with excitement as they recognized their favorite hockey players on stage. However instead of pads, jerseys and helmets the players were wearing dark clothes and some of them even went as far as to put on some guy-liner.

Nicole's eyes found Mike Green immediately as he took his position behind the drums. She turned and exchanged an excited glance with her best friend. They were literally only feet away from the men of their dreams!

"D.C!" shouted Alex Ovechkin into the microphone as he leaned in toward the crowd, "ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?"

The crowd roared as the team flew into their first song of the night. Ovechkin took the lead while the rest of the team sang back up:

"One look, I'm hooked, motor runnin'

Rev'd up, my heart startin' pumpin'

Are you ready for the best damn ride of your life?

Gimme a "hell"

Gimme a "yeah"

Get ready to go

She ain't movin' slow

She's takin' control

Pushin' the pedal to the floor

I'm beggin' for more

You better hold on tight!

Hey, hey, hey, hey

Hey, hey, hey, hey

Got a taste, can't be saved, I'm a junkie for life

She fuels my fire and adrenaline high

My need for speed's got me gunnin'

One touch, she screams "keep it comin'"

Are you ready for the best damn ride of your life?

Gimme a "hell"

Gimme a "yeah"

Stand up right now

And gimme a "hell"

Gimme a "yeah"

Stand up right now

Get ready to go

She ain't movin' slow

She's takin' control

Pushin' the pedal to the floor

I'm beggin' for more

You better hold on tight

Gimme a "hell"

Gimme a "yeah"

And gimme a "hell"

Gimme a "yeah"

YEAAAAAH!"

The crowd roared as the opening song drew to a close. The entire Verizon Center was ecstatic to hear how well their team played. As the Capitals moved into the next song of the night Nicole and Ashley screamed with excitement. So far the night was off to an amazingly good start…

…

After the concert Nicole and Ashley waited anxiously in the Capitals locker room. They had their backstage passes on lanyards around their necks and had been quickly ushered into the locker room during the last song of the concert. Now the Capitals were finishing up an encore song and then they would be making their way back to the locker room.

"I cannot believe this is happening," whispered Nicole as she glanced at Ashley, her eyes alight with excitement.

"I'm scared I'm gonna pass out or something!" hissed Ashley, looking a little anxious.

"You won't…just stay calm and act normal," assured Nicole as she played nervously with her backstage pass, "Everything will be just fine."

Just then, the door opened and the Washington Capitals poured into the locker room. They all looked really happy and were laughing and joking around with each other as they filed into the room.

"Ah look! Girls!" said Mathieu Perreault as he made a bee-line for Nicole and Ashley, "I love fan girls," he said with a huge grin on his face as he put an arm around each of them.

"Oh my gawd," muttered Matt Bradley as he rolled his eyes and walked over to them. He pushed Perreault away from Nicole and Ashley and gave him a stern look. Perreault just narrowed his eyes at Bradley in annoyance as he backed off, "Sorry bout that," said Bradley as he flashed them a smile, "He's still young…hasn't figured out how to control the hormones yet."

Nicole and Ashley just smirked at that.

"It's okay, he's a Capital, I don't mind," replied Nicole with a smile.

Bradley laughed at that as the rest of the team walked over to introduce themselves.

"Ah, you guys won the passes?" asked Ovechkin as he shook their hands, "I see…you two lucky girls! You get to see me in locker room," he added as he gave them a wink, causing both girls to blush.

Bradley rolled his eyes, "Clearly our captain hasn't learned how to control himself either."

Ovechkin tossed a towel at Bradley's face, "You just say those things because you married," he said with a laugh. Bradley just made a face at Ovechkin as he tossed the towel back at him.

Mike Green walked over to the two girls and froze in mid-step when he made eye-contact with Nicole. Nicole felt her heart skip a beat as the two stared at each other. The electricity between them was nearly palpable in the small locker room. Backstrom and Semin exchanged a knowing look as they observed the exchange.

"Hi," said Mike after a long moment, "Um…I'm Mike Green," he stammered as he held out his hand.

Nicole swallowed nervously, "I'm Nicole McNeil," she replied as she shook his hand.

The second they touched they could feel the chemistry between them. Mike felt his heart rate pick up rapidly as he held her hand just long enough for it to be a little awkward. He kept his eyes on her as Brooks Laich walked up behind him. Brooks had seen the entire exchange and realized his friend needed saving before he embarrassed himself any more than he already had. Brooks couldn't remember ever seeing his best friend this flustered over a girl before.

"I like the blonde," muttered John Carlson to Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin as they watched Laich walk over to the two girls, "God she's cute."

"Look out," muttered Nicklas, "I think Brooksy may have already spotted her."

"I'm Brooks Laich," said Brooks as he held out his hand to Ashley. But as he looked at Ashley he suddenly understood his best friend's dilemma. He was instantly taken by this beautiful blonde girl before him. He felt his mouth go dry as she shook his hand and introduced herself. They held each other's gaze for a long moment before they were interrupted.

"I'm John Carlson," said the rookie as he flashed Ashley his trademark adorable smile.

Ashley couldn't help but smile under all the attention she was receiving. Brooks Laich was ruggedly handsome but John Carlson's cuteness was irresistible. She introduced herself to Carlson and the two began talking immediately.

"Oh, Brooks is not happy," said Backstrom as he and Semin sat back and watched the scene in front of them, "Look at his face! I swear if he clenched his jaw any tighter it'd break."

Semin smirked, "This is better than a soap opera. Damn…things just got really interesting around here."

Just then they all heard someone pounding on the door.

"Who the hell is that?" grumbled Jason Arnott as he and Matt Bradley, who had retreated to the far side of the locker room where there wasn't any drama going on, looked up.

Semin shrugged as he went over and opened the door. His eyes flew open in panic as he recognized the person on the other side of the door. Before he could react, the woman pushed her way through and into the locker room.

"Mike!" she screeched when she saw that Mike was talking to a pretty young brunette by the lockers, "Who is _this_?"

"Aw, shit," growled Mike as he turned around and saw Emily.

"What the hell is she doing here?" snarled Matt Bradley as he shot an accusing glare in Mike Green's direction.

"Don't ask me, ask her!" yelled Mike, looking flustered. Quickly he turned back to Nicole, "You wanna get out of here?"

"Sure," said Nicole, giving Emily an uncertain glance, "But…is that your girlfriend or something?"

Mike couldn't help but laugh at that, "Oh hell no…not anymore."

That was enough for Nicole. She nodded and turned to Ashley, "You coming?"

Ashley looked back at Carlson and Laich and then back at Nicole. She was torn. She wanted to go with her best friend but she also didn't want to leave these two gorgeous hockey players here in the locker room.

"I'll go with you," said Carlson before Brooks could do or say anything, "We'll go have a little double date on the town."

Ashley smiled excitedly at that, "Yeah…okay sure!"

"Let's go!" said Mike as he grabbed Nicole's hand and pushed Emily out of the way with his other arm.

"Hey! What the hell!" screeched Emily in a rage, "Mikey!"

"Get the hell out of the locker room!" roared Mike as he glared over his shoulder at Emily, "Get a life, Emily…for real this time!"

Carlson just smirked in amusement as he reached for Ashley's hand and led her out of the locker room. No one noticed that Brooks Laich watched them leave with a look of disappointment and sadness on his face. He cursed himself for being too scared to speak up before John Carlson did. Now here he was, alone with the guys, while his best friend and the team's rookie were out on a double date. Normally that would only mildly annoy Brooks…but this time it was eating him alive. There was something about that blonde…something different than the other girls.

Brooks Laich cursed himself again as he heard tires peeling out of the underground garage as the two couples made a speedy exit from the arena.

"Great, now what are we gonna do with psycho- Barbie?" grumbled a dejected-looking Mathieu Perreault.

Emily whirled around and gave Perreault an insulted and angry look.

"What?" asked Perreault, shrugging innocently, "It's true! I'm pretty sure you're the only girl in the world I DON'T want in here right now."

Matt Bradley couldn't help but laugh openly at that, "Yeah, Emily why don't you get outta here? You shouldn't have come anyway."

"I just wanted to see Mike," argued Emily, looking hurt and upset.

"Hun, he's over you," said Alex Semin as he walked over to her, "It's over…you need to accept that. The sooner you do, the better things will be for everyone. Just…let it go, okay?"

Emily glared at Semin as she pushed past him and ran out of the locker room, slamming the door behind her.

"Anyone else think that's not the last time we're gonna see her?" grumbled Jason Arnott.

"Oh she'll be back," sighed Nicklas Backstrom, "She's relentless…Mike really needs to do something about that. It's getting ridiculous."

"It's _been _ridiculous," said Semin, "She's gonna go legit psycho on us one day."

"Try telling him that," muttered a defeated-looking Brooks Laich, "He's too stubborn and proud to admit he needs help."

Ovechkin sighed, "Alright enough of the negative shit," he announced, "Let's go downtown and get drinks! I wanna party!"

Semin whooped and hollered his agreement as they all scrambled to put away their gear and change their clothes. In a matter of minutes all the players were piling into their cars and heading out onto the streets of downtown D.C. to celebrate their first successful concert…

…

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	6. Struck By You

"Who was that?" asked Nicole once she and Mike had climbed into his white Lamborghini and were racing down the streets of DC.

Ashley had climbed into John Carlson's more sensible jeep and they were doing their best to keep up with Mike's fancy sports car.

Mike sighed as he glanced over at Nicole. He felt his heart hammer a little harder in his chest as he looked at her. He forced his eyes back to the road in front of him as he answered.

"Uh…that was my crazy ex-girlfriend," he said with an embarrassed smirk, "She has…an obsession problem with me."

Nicole raised an eyebrow at that, "Oh really? Have you reported it yet?"

Mike stifled a groan. He was getting tired of people telling him to report Emily to the cops.

"No…don't wanna ruin my image," he mumbled.

Nicole noted quickly that this was a sore subject and chose not to press the issue, "Ah, I see…well maybe she got the hint tonight that you're not interested in her anymore?"

Mike smirked a little, "Yeah…maybe," he said as he glanced over at Nicole again.

They pulled over next to what looked like an elite nightclub just a few blocks away from the Verizon Center.

"This place is legit," said Mike as he climbed out of the car and ran around to the other side to grab Nicole's door for her, "I think you'll like it," he added as he held out a hand and helped her climb out of the low-riding sports car.

John Carlson pulled up behind Mike and parked his jeep.

"Damn, Green could you maybe slow down next time?" he said with a laugh, "Not everyone has a car that can break the sound barrier."

Mike smirked as he gave Carlson's jeep a scrutinizing glance, "Sorry, buddy…but you need a new ride. I know you're a rookie, but come on man…you're pulling enough money to get yourself a real car."

Carlson rolled his eyes at Mike as he helped Ashley out of the car. Nicole and Ashley gave each other an excited glance as they followed the two hockey players into the night club.

The base was booming as they slipped inside. The lighting was low and the strobe lights mixed with the people swaying and grinding to the beat got them all very excited. They grabbed a table and ordered some drinks while they watched the people on the dance floor. There were a few couples out there who really did know how to dance.

"Wow," said Nicole, impressed, "This place really is legit!"

Mike smiled as he put an arm around her shoulders, "You like to party?"

Nicole shrugged, "Only at real places like this…not those white trash, college-like parties."

Mike's grin grew wider at that, "You've got style…I like it!"

Nicole blushed under Mike's praise as they turned their attention back to the dancers in the center of the club.

"As long as they've got real whiskey, vodka or brandy I'm happy," said Ashley as she downed her first shot of the night.

John Carlson grinned from ear to ear at that, "Ah a girl who likes her drink! I like it! I'll drink to that," he added as he ordered another shot of vodka.

"Wanna dance?" asked Nicole as she gave Mike Green a slightly seductive look.

Mike felt his mouth go dry as he read the meaning behind Nicole's words. He nodded silently as she reached for his hand and led them to the dance floor. Ashley smirked as she watched her friend leave.

"Couple more shots then you wanna hit the floor?" she asked John Carlson, feeling confident and less nervous with the alcohol in her system.

Carlson's grin widened, "Oh hell yeah! More shots!" he shouted at the waitress, making Ashley laugh in amusement at the urgency and excitement in his voice.

Nicole smiled when she recognized the song that came on. It was an older one but it was a perfect song to dance to at a club. Her hips moved easily with the music and Mike felt the world around him begin to spin as he danced with her.

_Well I'm not paralyzed_

_But, I seem to be struck by you_

_I want to make you move_

_Because you're standing still_

_If your body matches_

_What your eyes can do_

_You'll probably move right through_

_Me on my way to you_

Mike was pleasantly surprised to see how well Nicole danced. Soon they had nearly the entire club watching them and whistling and cheering as they moved expertly with the beat. Mike swallowed as Nicole grinded against him as the chorus blared through the club. The whistles and hollers grew louder as Nicole and Mike became more and more confident and risqué.

"Oh we so have to go out there and show them up," said Carlson as he reached for Ashley's hand, "You ready?"

Ashley smirked in amusement, "Yeah let's go!"

They ran over and began to dance next to Mike and Nicole. Ashley and Nicole gave each other excited looks as they all danced together. Mike was too engrossed in Nicole to even realize that Carlson and Ashley had joined them. His hands rested on Nicole's hips as she moved against him and he was sure he had died and gone to heaven.

_I hold out for one more drink_

_Before I think_

_I'm looking too desperately_

_But so far has not been fun_

_I should just stay home_

_If one thing really means one_

_This club will hopefully_

_Be closed in three weeks_

_That would be cool with me_

_Well I'm still imagining_

_A dark lit place_

_Or your place or my place_

_Well, I'm not paralyzed_

_But, I seem to be struck by you_

_I want to make you move_

_Because you're standing still_

_If your body matches_

_What your eyes can do_

_You'll probably move right through_

_Me on my way to you_

While the two couples danced to the beat, they were completely unaware that the rest of the band had walked into the club. This was Ovechkin and Semin's favorite place to party after a good game or to pick up girls and they had brought the rest of the band with them to celebrate their first successful concert.

"Hey! Look! It's Mike and Johnnie!" shouted Perreault over the music, "Damn look at those girls dance!"

"I don't think I've ever seen Mike that enthralled by a girl before," laughed Nicklas Backstrom, "I mean look at him! He can't take his eyes off of her!"

"Who knew Carlson could dance?" laughed Jason Arnott, "The rookie's got some skills!"

Matt Bradley laughed and rolled his eyes at his friends as he moved to the side and grabbed them a table. The only person not amused by the sight was Brooks Laich. His jaw clenched with anger as he watched Ashley grind against Carlson. He felt an obsessive desire to be the guy she was grinding with…and in that moment all he wanted to do was punch John Carlson in the face. It wasn't the kid's fault. He had made a move when Brooks had been too scared to do anything…but the fact that he was dancing with his dream girl pissed him off to no end. It was an irrational anger and Brooks knew that. He was normally the calm, collective one of the group but in that moment he felt anything but calm and cool. He was infuriated and insanely jealous. He ordered a couple shots of whiskey and sat back in a chair while the rest of the guys joked around with each other, watched the two couples or began scouting the room for any single, attractive females.

After about two songs of watching Carlson dance with Ashley, Brooks Laich finally snapped. Maybe it was the alcohol now coursing through his veins or maybe the jealousy had finally gotten to be too much, but whatever the case Brooks Laich stood up from behind the table and made his way over to the dance floor where the two couples were swaying to the music.

"Oh shit," muttered Backstrom as he nudged Ovechkin and Semin, "Brooksy's on the prowl."

"I swear to God if there's a fight I'm leaving," announced Bradley, looking very concerned as he noted the angry look on Brooks' face.

"Yeah this isn't gonna end well," muttered Arnott as he frowned, craning his neck to see what was going on.

Perreault was the only one who seemed excited about the situation. He jumped up and down in an effort to see what was going on out on the dance floor, a huge grin of excitement plastered on his face.

Mike glanced up and saw Brooks as he walked out onto the dance floor. His eyes grew wide with surprise at seeing his best friend here, but they grew even wider with surprise when he noted the dangerous glint in Brooks' eyes.

"Brooksy?" he asked as Brooks passed them.

But Brooks Laich was too focused on the couple dancing in the center of the club. He walked right past Mike and Nicole without so much as giving them even a passing glance.

"Oh shit," muttered Nicole, "This isn't gonna go over well."

"Mind if I cut in?" asked Brooks curtly as he turned an icy glare toward John Carlson.

Carlson was about to object but felt a thrill of fear when he saw the dangerous light in Brooks' eyes. He swallowed nervously, not sure what he did to infuriate the calmest guy on the Capitals team. He nodded as he gave Ashley an apologetic glance and then moved off the dance floor.

Ashley looked up at Brooks Laich in shock. This was the man of her dreams…but what about Carlson? He had been so kind and so much fun tonight.

Brooks noted the conflicting emotions that crossed Ashley's face as he reached out and grabbed her hips, pulling her into him. Ashley felt her head swim as she smelled his intoxicating cologne and soon found herself lost in the music and in Brooks Laich's deep blue eyes.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the club, Carlson watched them dance, his eyes burning with anger and jealousy. He threw his shot glass across the room. It shattered against the wall, causing the dancers nearby to stop and look at him questioningly.

"John," said Backstrom as he reached out to the rookie.

Carlson yanked his arm free of Backstrom's grip, "Just leave me alone," he mumbled dejectedly as he turned around and made a bee-line for the exit.

"Aw shit," muttered Semin as he watched Carlson leave, "This can't be good."

"They're going to end up killing each other," muttered Arnott, frowning as he predicted the future.

"This is going to cause so many problems," sighed Bradley as he took another swig of his beer, "If they start fighting during practice I'm going to flip."

"Or maybe one of them will just give her up," said Ovechkin hopefully, "I mean…it's a girl. There lots of girls in D.C. Trust me…I've been with many."

Backstrom and Perreault laughed at that and toasted to Ovechkin's healthy sex life while Bradley and Arnott looked disgusted by it.

"You think either of them would do that?" asked Semin as he frowned doubtfully, "They're both stubborn as hell."

"No way," agreed Bradley, "It's gonna get nasty…mark my words…nasty as hell."

"You all worry too much," said Ovechkin, "Party-poopers…I go talk to those blonds by the bar. They not so miserable like you guys. They look like good time!"

"Oh gawd," muttered Bradley.

Arnott just laughed and shook his head while the rest of the guys cheered Ovechkin on has he made his way toward his latest conquest.

Meanwhile, Brooks Laich and Ashley were lost in each other as they danced hard on the dance floor. Mike glanced over at them while he and Nicole took a break to grab some drinks. He frowned in concern as he watched them swaying to the beat.

"I don't like this," muttered Mike, "It can't end well."

Nicole sighed as she watched her best friend, "Yeah…I know. She's gonna end up breaking one of their hearts. Who'd a thought my best friend would end up stuck between two Washington Capitals players?"

Mike smirked as he rested a hand on Nicole's hip, "You're not torn between two of them are you?" he asked as he pulled her in close.

Nicole smiled as she felt herself blush, "Hell no…I'm pretty sold out on just one."

"Oh yeah?" asked Mike as he flirted with her, "Wanna get outta here?" he asked suggestively.

Nicole hesitated for just a second. She wasn't the type to sleep around but…this _was _Mike Green.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked with a smile.

"My place?" suggested Green, his voice taking on a huskier tone.

Nicole blushed furiously at that and nodded. Mike smiled as he reached for her hand and led her out of the bar. The rest of the Capitals cheered and whistled as they watched them leave. Mike just flipped them the bird as they walked outside into the cool, D.C. night air…

…

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Also, if you guys are interested I have a youtube channel where I post vids of the Capitals! If you want to look me up just type in mahonechic89 on the search tab and I should pop up! : )


	7. The Morning After

Nicole woke up in a room that she immediately knew was not her own. She blinked open her eyes against the harsh light coming in through the vertical blinds and sat up slowly. A headache was pounding right behind her forehead as she glanced over and saw Mike Green lying next to her. Last night's events flooded through her mind and she shook her head in bewilderment. How the hell did a college girl like her get this lucky? She smiled when she looked down and saw Mike sleeping peacefully, one arm draped around her middle. She slid out of his grasp and reached over for her cell phone that was lying on the floor. She had one missed call and a couple texts from Ashley.

_Hey girl! Crazy night last night. I saw you leave with Green…I'm assuming you'll be at his place. I stayed at the club with Brooks and the guys until three. I think Brooks wanted me back at his place but I had to say no. I went back to the hotel…I just don't know what to do about John Carlson. He looked upset when Brooks cut in. Anyways, call when you can._

Nicole slipped out of Mike's bedroom and into the spacious living room of his massive, modern condo.

"Ashley?" she asked quietly into the phone when she heard her friend pick up.

"You slut," said Ashley on the other end of the line with a laugh, "You're at his place aren't you?"

"Oh hush," laughed Nicole, "Yeah I am…so what's this about Brooks and John? What happened? I mean we saw you guys on the dance floor and then Brooks came over. He looked freakin' pissed."

"Yeah I don't know," muttered Ashley with a frown, "I mean, John and I were having a great time and Brooks just came over and cut in and I just kinda lost myself in the moment when we started dancing. I didn't even know that John had left until the guys told me later. They said he was pretty upset."

Nicole frowned, "Damn girl…I think you've got a problem. I think you've got yourself two hot Capitals chasing your tail!"

Ashley cursed, "Why can't you be the one with this issue? I mean aren't you the one who always gets the guys who are taken or engaged? What the hell?"

Nicole tried to suppress a smirk at that, "Yeah I guess it's my time to finally have an easy relationship. So, which one do you like more?"

"That's just it," said Ashley with a sigh, "I don't know. I mean, Brooks is the man of my dreams, literally…but John Carlson is so sweet and cute and kind…and…I just don't know."

Nicole shrugged as she paced the living room, "Well then you've just gotta make a choice. Hang out with both of them until you figure out what you want."

"I feel like a slut," muttered Ashley.

"Oh please I just had sex with a man I danced with last night at a club," laughed Nicole, "I'm more of a slut than you are!"

"Yeah but you kept with one guy! And it's Mike Green…your dream guy," argued Ashley, "I'm torn between two guys…one of which is thoroughly pissed that I wasn't dancing with him and the other is like heart broken. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Nicole rolled her eyes, "Oh girl you are so dramatic…just date both of them! Eventually one has to stand out more than the other. It'll all work out, you'll see."

"You better be right," grumbled Ashley.

Nicole smirked. The door to the bedroom opened and a shirtless and sleepy-eyed Mike Green sauntered into the living room.

"Hey, Ashley, I gotta go…Mike's up," said Nicole as she gave Mike a wink.

"Oh gawd," muttered Ashley with a smile, "Protection, Nicole…use protection!"

Nicole just laughed at her friend as she hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" asked Mike as he wrapped his arms around Nicole.

"It was Ashley," replied Nicole as she leaned into Mike's bare chest, "She's torn between Carlson and Laich."

Mike frowned at that, "Yeah…I noticed last night."

"They'll figure it out," assured Nicole, "They're all adults…they'll be okay."

"I'm glad you aren't torn between anyone," growled Mike in a seductive tone.

Nicole blushed, "Oh no…I'm pretty sold out on one hockey player."

Mike smiled happily at that as someone knocked on his door. He slid out of Nicole's arms and went over to open the door.

"Aw shit! You've _got _to be kidding me!" he yelled as Emily forced her way into his condo.

Nicole's eyes grew wide with surprise as the two young women made eye-contact.

"Who the hell is this?" hissed Emily, seething with rage.

"That's Nicole," growled Mike as he moved protectively between the two women, "She's the new woman in my life, Emily."

"There's no one in your life but me, Mikey," said Emily, looking confused and hurt.

"Oh my god how many times do I have to explain this to you?" asked Mike in an exasperated tone, "We're over…we've _been _over for a long time now, Emily! You can't keep coming around and showing up everywhere! It's freaking annoying and kinda creepy. You need to leave me alone…go get a life. Go find someone else, because I'm no longer available."

Nicole couldn't help but smile a little at Mike's last few words. Emily saw the expression of relief and happiness on Nicole's face and suddenly lunged at her with an outraged cry.

Mike moved quickly and grabbed Emily before she could go after Nicole. He slammed her into the wall and put an arm underneath her chin and applied enough pressure to cause Emily to gag.

"Get…the…hell….out…of…my…house," seethed Mike with barely suppressed rage.

He dropped Emily and she collapsed to the floor for a moment before scrambling up and making a bee-line for the door. Mike slammed it shut behind her and bolted it. He turned around slowly and gave Nicole an apologetic look.

"Okay…you seriously need to call the cops now, Mike," said Nicole, her eyes still wide from shock at what all had just happened, "That girl is seriously screwed up."

"Yeah, you think?" muttered Mike with a sigh, "Don't worry I can…"

"Don't tell me you can handle it," snapped Nicole suddenly, "Because clearly that's not the case. Mike…if we're going to be together you have to do something about her. I won't deal with that shit. What would have happened if I was here alone? What's gonna happen when I am alone? Is she going to come after me? How crazy is this bitch? God only knows what she's probably capable of! I swear to God Mike…"

Mike reached out and grabbed Nicole's shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Hey, hey, calm down," he said soothingly, "Nothing's going to happen to you…she's crazy but she's not that crazy."

"How do you know?" retorted Nicole, still looking doubtful, "She seemed pretty damn crazy to me."

Mike smirked at that as he wrapped Nicole up in his arms, "Because I won't be leaving you alone aside from practice and concerts. And then she'll be stalking me…not you."

Nicole glanced up at Mike and gave him a doubtful look, "Fine…but if she comes after me like that again, Mike I can't promise I won't do something about it myself."

Mike smirked at the dangerous glint in Nicole's eyes. This girl was tough as nails…he liked that.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did," he murmured as he stroked her hair, "And I wouldn't be too sad if you did something to her either."

Nicole couldn't help but smile at that.

"So you busy tonight?" he asked her quietly, "Cause if you aren't…there's this great diner downtown I'd like to show you."

Nicole smiled happily at that, "Sounds good to me."

Mike smiled as he held her close. For the first time in a very long time he felt like a part of his life that had been missing for so long was finally there. He felt whole again…and it felt so damn good…

…

John Carlson seethed with rage as he waited inside Kettler for the rest of the team to arrive for their morning practice. Semin and Ovechkin were already there, both sporting sunglasses due to their hangovers from last night's celebration. Perreault, Arnott and Bradley walked in looking exhausted and slightly hung-over themselves as they settled into their positions.

"Too much vodka," muttered Ovechkin as he massaged his temples, "This practice going to kill my head…when Mikey plays those drums I'm gonna want to die."

Semin nodded in agreement while Perreault, Arnott and Bradley proceeded to make fun of them.

"Oh I thought you guys were the 'fish' of the team," laughed Bradley, "Mr. Tough-Russians who can hold their drink! What is this?"

"Shut up," said Semin as he through a guitar pick at Bradley.

Matt Bradley only laughed as he dodged the missile and muttered something to Arnott and Perreault that had them all laughing hysterically.

John Carlson kept to himself on the far side of the practice room and began to tune his electric guitar. He was not looking forward to having to play next to Brooks Laich today. After what that asshole did to him last night the last thing Carlson wanted to do was be anywhere near him. He had finally found a girl that made him feel good about himself and what did Brooks do? He came over and swept her off her feet right in the middle of a song they had been dancing to. Just remembering what had happened last night pissed Carlson off to no end. He wanted to deck Brooks Laich in the face with his guitar.

Then, as if on cue, Brooks Laich sauntered coolly into the practice room with a huge grin plastered on his face. Carlson was about to make a cutting remark about his grin until he saw who he had in tow. Ashley was walking behind Brooks with her hand in his. She looked nervous but excited to be around all the Capitals again after last night's crazy party. Brooks murmured something in her ear and led her over to where there were some chairs set up in the back. He gave her a hug and said something else to her that made her giggle before he went to join the rest of the band on the practice stage.

Carlson felt his blood boil with rage as he glared at Brooks. But the Capitals' center didn't even realize John Carlson's presence as he took the stage and began to tune his guitar.

"Yo, rookie!" shouted Mike Green as he entered the building, "You joining the team or are you gonna play solo?"

John Carlson shot Mike an annoyed glare as he stood up to go join them. Mike veered off his bee-line path for the stage and stood in front of Carlson.

"You alright man?" he murmured quietly so the others wouldn't hear, "I saw you leave early last night."

"Yeah well when one of your own teammates steals the girl you were dancing with there's not much reason to stay anymore," snapped Carlson, curtly.

Mike frowned at that, "I think you and Brooks need to have a talk."

Carlson sneered at that, "Yeah like that'd do anything. Brooks always gets what he wants…I'm just the rookie."

"Okay then maybe you should talk to Ashley," suggested Mike, "I mean it is her decision after all."

Carlson frowned, "Yeah…maybe."

Mike patted Carlson on the back, "Alright let's go practice…we'll work this out later, okay?"

Carlson nodded as he followed Mike to the stage. He glanced over at where Ashley was sitting and saw that Nicole had joined her. He glanced over at Mike and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Someone had a good night last night?" he asked.

Mike smiled broadly as he took his spot behind the drums, "Oh hell yeah!" he said as he began to bang out a beat.

The rest of the team whistled and gave a few catcalls as they warmed up their instruments.

"Oh jeez," muttered Nicole as she blushed under all the attention the Capitals were giving her and Mike.

Ashley laughed at her best friend's expense, "Hey you asked for it!"

"Yeah, yeah I know," smirked Nicole, "So…how are things with the boys?"

Ashley glanced away, "Brooks called me after I hung up with you and asked if I wanted to come to practice. He picked me up and brought me here. John…doesn't look very happy though."

Nicole looked up and noted that Carlson was darting glared in Brooks' direction and every so often would glance longingly over in their direction. She frowned as she realized how serious this situation could get.

"So…what are gonna do about it?" asked Nicole, "You gonna hang out with them like I said?"

Ashley shrugged, "I don't know. I honestly don't know what to do."

Nicole frowned as she realized how much this was affecting her best friend.

"Well…it is kinda their own doing," she said quietly, "They're all supposedly best friends so they should be able to work this out. I say keep doing what you're doing and I have a feeling that the choice will be made more obvious soon enough."

Ashley nodded, "Yeah…hopefully."

But as Ashley watched Carlson and Laich give each other angry glares and noted the visible tension between them as they practiced, she wasn't so sure this would be as easy as Nicole thought it would be…

…

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	8. Deadly Catfight

After practice was over, Mike and Nicole headed out to go to an early dinner downtown at one of Mike's favorite diners. Ashley smiled and gave her friend a hug goodbye before they left.

"Hey," said John Carlson quietly as he walked over to where Ashley was sitting.

Mike and Nicole hurried out of the way so that the two could talk. Carlson looked anxious as he moved his weight from one foot to the other.

"Hey," said Ashley, glancing away nervously.

"So…you and Brooks, huh?" he asked, his face scrunching up a little as he questioned her.

Ashley looked up at him and frowned, "Um…I don't know. Why?"

"You know why," whispered Carlson with feeling as he gave Ashley a long, knowing look.

Ashley felt her heart skip a beat under his pained and desperate gaze. She felt a stab of guilt for being so indecisive about this whole thing. It was clearly hurting John deeply.

"I don't…I don't know what to do," she stammered after a moment, "You're both great guys but…"

"But Brooks always wins," said Carlson with a bitter edge to his voice, "He's the eye-candy that gets whatever he wants. And he's got you…he won. He always does."

Ashley frowned at that, "Now that's not fair…I never said that he 'had' me. I'm torn between you guys. You're both wonderful and kind and such gentlemen, I just don't know what to do."

Carlson glanced away, feeling ashamed at his outburst, "I'm sorry…I just…I really like you, Ashley. I had a great time last night until Brooks came. I just…I didn't want to leave. I didn't want it to end. I want to see you again."

Ashley glanced over Carlson's shoulder and saw that Brooks Laich was staring at them intently from where he was putting up his equipment on the stage. She swallowed nervously, wondering what to do.

"Um…yeah, sure," she said with a shrug, "Just…don't get your hopes up, okay? I haven't made up my mind yet."

Carlson nodded, "I understand. But Brooks got you last night and this morning apparently…I at least deserve a little one on one time myself, don't I? Give me a fair shot?"

Ashley smiled at his reasoning, "Okay…that sounds fair."

"You ready, Ashley?" asked Brooks as he walked over to them.

Carlson stiffened up immediately and looked sharply away from Brooks. He wouldn't be able to hide his jealousy and anger if he made eye-contact with the Capitals' star center.

"Um, actually I was going to go out with John for a while," said Ashley as she glanced at Carlson, "But thank you for the ride over this morning. I appreciate it."

Brooks Laich's jaw clenched visibly at that as he cast a reproachful glare in Carlson's direction. Carlson dared to look up and made eye-contact with Laich. The two gave each other measured, challenging glares, each knowing what the other was thinking and desiring.

"Okay," said Brooks, careful to keep his tone even and friendly, "Well you have fun…you have my number if you want to hang out later."

Ashley nodded as Brooks leaned over and gave her a tight squeeze, much to Carlson's dislike, and then returned to where the rest of the band was gathering and making plans for the evening.

"Let's get the hell out of here," muttered an irritated John Carlson as he put an arm around Ashley and led her out of the Kettler Iceplex…

…

"You sure?" asked Mike Green for the thousandth time that night.

Nicole laughed, "Yes, Mike I'm sure! Go have fun with the boys! I'll be fine here…I'll watch a movie or two, maybe see if Ashley isn't busy with her two boyfriends."

Mike smirked a little at that, "Yeah the tension this morning was tangible that's for sure. Those two are gonna have each other's heads here soon I have a feeling."

Nicole sighed, "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that…I have a feeling that'd be devastating for the band…you guys don't need that."

Mike nodded in agreement, "Very true…especially since we're having another concert in Arlington tomorrow night. We need them to be on their A-game."

"Okay, well go have fun with the boys. Don't keep them waiting."

"Thanks baby," murmured Mike as he leaned down and gave Nicole a kiss before he left.

Nicole smiled to herself. She was pretty sure Mike Green was the only man on the face of the earth that could get away with calling her 'baby'….

…

_Three hours later_…

Nicole stretched and yawned on the couch. She had called Ashley a couple hours ago but apparently she had decided to spend the evening with John Carlson and talk things out with him. Nicole wished her best friend luck and popped in another movie.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Nicole stood up to answer it.

"That's strange," she muttered to herself, "Mike's back awful early…"

"YOU BITCH!"

Nicole took a startled step back as Emily burst into the apartment, screaming like a banshee.

"Whoa, okay, calm down," said Nicole as she put her hands up in surrender, " Emily…girl, you need serious help."

"Go screw yourself," snarled Emily as she whipped out something from behind her back.

Nicole's eyes grew wide with surprise and fear as she looked at the five inch long blade in Emily's hand.

"Emily," said Nicole in a quiet, soothing voice, "Come on…it doesn't have to come to this. You don't want to do this. You know you're only gonna get in trouble right? Come on…let's avoid all that mess and just talk about this situation."

"There's nothing to talk about!" spat Emily as she advanced toward Nicole, "You're sleeping with my boyfriend! I'm gonna cut your throat out you whore!"

Nicole backed up into the couch and scrambled to grab the cordless phone. Emily saw what Nicole was attempting to do and lunged forward. Nicole leapt out of the way just in time as the knife plunged into the soft leather couch. She cursed when she saw she had dropped the phone next to Emily's feet. There was no way she could scramble over there and get it now.

"I'll kill you!" screeched Emily in a blind rage as she stormed toward Nicole. Her blue eyes were livid with anger and her blonde hair looked like it hadn't been combed in a week. She looked like a complete wreck, but the knife in her hand made her a complete sociopath.

Nicole moved quickly and got up off the ground, narrowly avoiding Emily's knife once again. Years of old martial arts training kicked in and Nicole sent a blindingly fast side-kick into Emily's gut as she passed by. Emily cried out in pain but slashed at the air with her knife, refusing to allow Nicole's strike to faze her. Nicole watched in dismay as Emily advanced again, knife at the ready. As Nicole backed away she tripped over the edge of the rug and cried out as she fell to the ground. She knew Emily would use this as the perfect time to attack. She looked up and sure enough Emily was coming after her. Nicole tried to move but this time wasn't fast enough. She screamed in agony as the knife slashed open her arm as she tried to duck out of the way.

The cut was deep and bled profusely as Nicole staggered to her feet. She was horrified to see Emily laughing gleefully at the red splatters on the floor of Mike's apartment.

"You're a goddamned lunatic!" shouted Nicole, now in full-panic mode. She was losing blood and fast and if she didn't act soon this could all be over in a matter of seconds.

"Hell yes I am!" laughed Emily, "And this lunatic is about to end your whorish life!"

"Go to hell!" snarled Nicole as a dangerous light glinted in her eyes.

The look stopped Emily dead in her tracks for just a moment, but that moment was long enough. Nicole charged with a wild shriek and slammed into Emily, knocking the wind out of the small blonde woman. Emily gasped for air as Nicole climbed on top of her and began to punch her repeatedly with her good arm.

As Emily's struggles began to grow less and less, Nicole forced herself to stop beating her. Deep down all Nicole wanted to do was beat her until she was dead, but she knew that wouldn't do anybody any real good. She sat against the back of the couch, gasping for air and clutching her bloody arm. Emily lay in a sprawled heap on the floor, her face now a bloody mess after Nicole's attack. She moaned quietly, letting Nicole know she was still alive. Nicole lashed out with her leg and gave the girl a kick in the ribs, causing her to cry out again.

"Shut up!" screamed Nicole, furious and now fearful that she was bleeding out, "Just shut the hell up you bitch! Shut up!"

Nicole took a few deep, shaky breaths and tried to calm herself down. As the adrenalin left her body, she realized she needed to find the phone and call the police. She glanced over and saw the cordless was several feet away from her. Her cell phone was still on the couch where she had left it to go answer the door. Nicole made a move to slide toward the cordless phone but found herself too weak to even move. She began to panic as she realized that she must have already lost too much blood…she couldn't make her body respond to her anymore. The blood-soaked carpet attested to the fact that the wound was severe. Nicole shuddered as she realized the gravity of her situation. She began to yell, summoning up the last energy she had, hoping someone outside would hear her screams…

…

Mike raced back to his condo. He had a great night with the guys but now all he wanted to do was get back to Nicole. He couldn't remember the last time he had wanted to be with someone so badly in his life. Nicole was literally his dream come true.

He pulled into the complex and ran up the stairs toward his condo. He practically jogged down the hallway toward his condo door, his heart hammering with excitement. But, as he rounded the corner and saw the door to his condo wide open, his heart began to hammer for another reason.

"Oh shit…" he breathed as he ran into the condo, "Nicole…?"

He choked mid-cry when he saw Nicole lying in a bloodied heap on the floor behind the couch and Emily lying next to her, also in bloody mess.

"Oh God no!" he shouted as he ran over and lifted Nicole's head.

Nicole moaned slightly and looked up at Mike, "Mike…I…I'm sorry…she…"

"Don't apologize," whispered Mike as he brushed her hair out of her face, "I'm calling an ambulance, okay? You're gonna be okay…I promise."

Nicole nodded and mumbled, "Okay…can….can you call Ashley? Tell her…tell her what happened? She'll wonder why I never answered her text…"

Mike nodded as he ran over to the cordless and dialed 911…praying desperately that Nicole would be okay…

…

Please Review!


	9. Boiling Over

"We came as soon as we heard," said Jason Arnott, his face tight with tension as he and the rest of the Capital's band ran into the waiting area of the ER.

"Is she gonna be okay?" asked Mathieu Perreault, his eyes wide with uncharacteristic fear and anxiety.

Mike nodded, still looking shell-shocked by the night's events, "Yeah…yeah the doctors said she's gonna be okay. They had to give her more blood…she almost bled out…"

Mike choked on the last few words and Brooks Laich moved to put a comforting arm around his friend as he sat down next to him.

"Where is she?" demanded Ashley as she and John Carlson burst into the waiting room.

Brooks' gaze hardened when he saw Ashley with Carlson. He felt rage boiling up inside of him and mentally forced himself to let it go…for now.

"She's still with the doctor," said Mike in a hoarse whisper, "He said he'll let us know when she can have visitors."

Ashley didn't seem pleased by that answer, "Yeah, well she's my best friend and I'd like to see her now!" she said, raising her voice as she cast a glare over in the direction of the receptionist.

Carlson put his hand on the small of her back, "Easy…she's going to be okay," he whispered soothingly, "The doctor will let us know when we can all see her."

Ashley visibly relaxed under Carlson's reassurance, much to Brooks Laich's disdain. He growled low in his throat and Mike glanced up at him in surprise. He had never known Brooks to be the type to go off or get upset about anything for that matter. This…this was an entirely new side of Brooks Laich that he had never seen before.

Just then, the door to the waiting room opened and the doctor walked in.

"Okay, she can have two visitors for now," said the doctor as he glanced around in surprise at the small crowd that had quickly gathered around him, "We don't want to overwhelm her right now. She's very weak and tired so take it easy on her. I'll let you guys decide who gets to go in."

"Mike and Ashley," said Matt Bradley decisively, "Her boyfriend and best friend…the rest of us can wait."

Perreault looked like he wanted to object but grew quite under Jason Arnott's stern glare. Instead he sat down on one of the waiting room chairs and looked like he was going to pout. Jason Arnott and Matt Bradley rolled their eyes in exasperation at Perreault's reaction and sat down next to him.

John Carlson glanced around for a place to sit as Ashley and Mike went to go see Nicole. He felt his teeth clench together when he saw the only empty seat was where Mike had been sitting…right next to Brooks Laich. Brooks noticed Carlson's dilemma and clenched his jaw as Carlson hesitantly approached him. He sat down next to Brooks and scooted over as far away as he could from him.

Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin frowned at the sight and glanced over at Arnott and Bradley. They all shared nervous, knowing glances. The tension between the two players was beginning to escalate to an all-new level. They had a concert tomorrow night and they all feared that things would fall apart if the two players didn't reconcile their differences.

After several long, tense moments, John Carlson glanced over at Laich. A sudden realization dawned on the young rookie: he had seen Ashley first…he had danced with her first…he had made the first move. All Brooks did was step in-between them. If it hadn't been for Brooks Laich, he and Ashley would probably be dating right now.

That realization was enough for Carlson…it was time to end this stupid feud right here, right now…

…

"Hey baby," crooned Mike Green as he entered Nicole's hospital room.

Nicole smiled when she saw Mike and reached out for his hand. Mike knelt down next to the bed and held her hand, stroking her hair with his free hand as he talked to her. Ashley ran over to the other side of the bed and sat down on one of the chairs.

"Are you okay?" asked Mike, his eyes brimming with concern and fear for his new girlfriend.

Nicole nodded, "Yeah…just tired. They sewed my arm up, gave me some more blood…now I just have to rest for a few days."

Mike let out a huge sigh of relief as he stroked Nicole's hair, "That's wonderful, hun. God, I was so worried…"

Nicole smirked, "Please…you think I'm gonna let that scrawny blonde bitch kill me?"

Mike and Ashley both burst out laughing at that.

"Speaking of which," said Nicole, "Where is that tramp?"

"Doctor said she's in the ICU right now," said Mike, trying to suppress a smirk, "He said she'll pull through but that you messed her up pretty freakin' good, baby."

Nicole couldn't help but smile at that, "Well she started it…I just finished it."

Ashley grinned happily at that, "That's my best friend!"

Just then, they all heard a loud commotion coming from the direction of the waiting room.

"What the hell…?" asked Mike. He froze when he recognized Brooks Laich's voice, "Aw shit…it's him and the kid!"

"What?" asked Nicole and Ashley as they exchanged confused looks.

"Laich and Carlson," said Mike as he made a bee-line for the door.

"Aw shit," muttered Nicole.

"I better go see what's going on," mumbled Ashley, looking incredibly guilty.

Nicole frowned as she watched her friend leave the room with Mike. She wished the two players would just figure this out amongst themselves. This was only making it ten times harder on her best friend.

"Men," grumbled Nicole as she lay back in bed and waited for them to return…

…

"I saw her first," growled Carlson suddenly.

Brooks Laich jumped a little at the intensity in the young rookie's voice, "Come again?" he growled back, his blue eyes hardening dangerously.

"You heard me," snarled Carlson as he glared daggers at Laich, "I saw her first! I danced with her first! You just got in the way! If it wasn't for you, Ashley and I would be together right now!"

"Fuck you!" shouted Brooks, "I saw her first! You just got to her before I could!"

"Aw shit," muttered Bradley as the rest of the team tensed up, "This isn't gonna be good."

"Cause you were too scared!" accused Carlson as he got to his feet, "You were too fucking scared! So I made the first move and now you're jealous because you regret the fact that you were a chicken! Go find someone else, Brooks! Why does it have to be her? You get every girl you've ever wanted! Go find someone else and for once let me have what I want!"

"I've never wanted a girl like I want her!" argued Brooks, his voice trembling, "So don't stand there and act like you know more about me than you do! You don't rookie! There's a lot of shit you don't know about life yet!"

"Get the hell out of my face!" shouted Carlson as Brooks took a step towards him.

"How 'bout you get out of mine?" countered Brooks as he pushed Carlson away from him.

That was all it took…that one, simple push literally pushed John Carlson over the edge. With a roar of anger he lunged at Brooks, sending a punch toward his face. Brooks dodged the blow easily and countered with one of his own. Before the rest of the team could do anything to separate them, Brooks through a punch that landed heavily on Carlson's face. John Carlson hit the ground hard, moaning in pain.

Matt Bradley and Jason Arnott moved quickly between the two feuding players, ensuring that neither of them tried to throw any more blows.

"Do you see how stupid you're being right now?" shouted an infuriated Jason Arnott, "This is bullshit! All of it!"

John Carlson picked himself up off the ground, holding his face right underneath his eye. He glared daggers at Brooks Laich over Arnott's shoulder.

"Screw all of you," he snarled as he snatched his jacket off of the back of his seat and ran out of the emergency room.

"Are you happy now?" asked a very dejected looking Nicklas Backstrom as he gazed sadly over at Brooks Laich.

"I…I didn't mean to hit him that hard," muttered Brooks, "I just…God he just pissed me off so badly."

Semin frowned, "You guys need to sit down and talk…this is getting way out of hand."

Perreault nodded, his bright brown eyes tense and nervous, "Yeah…I don't like all this fighting crap…scares the hell outta me."

Matt Bradley felt a glimmer of sympathy for their other young rookie as he put a comforting arm around Perreault's shoulders.

Brooks nodded, "Yeah…yeah I'll talk to him. Maybe tomorrow…when all this dies down."

Jason Arnott nodded, satisfied by Brooks' response, "Good…because we have a concert tomorrow night and I don't want this shit getting in the way of it."

"What the hell is going on?" said Mike Green as he and Ashley emerged into the waiting room.

"Brooks and John took their anger out…on each other," answered Semin with a sigh, "Carlson took off after Brooks decked him in the face."

Ashley's eyes grew wide with horror as she looked over at a very guilty-looking Brooks Laich.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly to Ashley and Mike, "It…it was an accident. Things just got out of hand. I promise I'll apologize to him tomorrow and we'll sit down and talk all this crap out, okay?"

Ashley sighed and nodded, "Yeah…I think that'd be a good idea."

Mike just shook his head in disbelief, "Unbelievable," he muttered as he turned back around, "I'm going back to see Nicole," he said over his shoulder.

Brooks tensed at the anger and disappointment in his best friend's voice. He had let him and the rest of the team down by letting his anger get the better of him. He promised himself that that would never happen again…

…

Two hours later….

"Dispatch, we've got a trauma victim coming in…straight to ICU," said someone over the loud hailer, "Victim was involved in a car accident. He was hit broadside…victim was in a brown Grand Cherokee Jeep. Approximate age is early twenties. We are on the way back to the hospital now."

The rest of the team didn't hear the dispatch call. They were too busy talking amongst themselves as they sat in the waiting room, waiting to hear if the doctor would be able to clear Nicole to go home for the evening.

Brooks Laich on the other hand was sitting right next to the reception area of the waiting room and heard every word of it. He felt his blood turn to ice as he heard the description of the car and the victim.

"Whoa, Brooksy," said Mathieu Perreault as he glanced up and saw the look on the center's face, "Dude, you just turned like five shades whiter. You alright?"

"Oh my God," muttered Brooks as he felt panic take a hold of him, "It's…its Johnnie…"

…

Please Review!

Okay, I know this is kinda cruel and unusual punishment…but I won't be updating for a while. I gotta go out of town so I won't be able to update for about a week and a half so I'm gonna have to leave you all with this hang-off ending. But I promise when I return I will make up for it! : )


	10. Falling Apart

Horror swept through the group of players in the waiting room as they listened to Brooks Laich stammer out an explanation.

"Oh my god," muttered a distraught-looking Nicklas Backstrom, "It has to be John…that's his car…the Jeep Grand Cherokee."

"They said…they said they're taking him straight to the ER," said Brooks Laich, suddenly feeling a wave of nausea hit him, "I shouldn't have hit him…I shouldn't have freaked out like that. This is all my fault…all my fault…"

"Brooks, stop it!" yelled Jason Arnott forcefully, "You can't blame yourself…it just happened okay? Let's just pray that John's okay…"

Just then they heard the hallway doors burst open and saw a group of people race down the hallway with a stretcher. They were shouting to one another as they pushed past people in the hall and raced down to the ER.

Brooks Laich stood up quickly and made a move to race into the hallway to follow them.

"Brooks…" said Ovechkin as he reached out to stop him.

"Ovi, let me go," said Brooks, his face pale and tight with worry, "I…I have to find out what's going on."

"Let him go," said Arnott with a sigh, "Just…let us know what you find out, okay Brooks?"

Brooks nodded as Ovechkin reluctantly released his grip on Brooks' arm.

"I just don't think he should be alone…just…in case it's really bad," said Ovechkin, glancing down at the floor.

Mathieu Perreault paled at that. He and Carlson had been teammates for several years. They had played together when they were on the Hershey Bears team and now they were teammates with the Washington Capitals. He couldn't even imagine losing John like this.

Alex Semin noted the distraught look on Perreault's face and moved over next to him. He put a comforting arm around the young rookie and forced a weak smile.

Ovechkin and Backstrom exchanged worried looks as they glanced back out at the hallway…praying that whatever had happened to John Carlson wasn't as bad as it sounded…

…

Brooks Laich was stopped by two nurses as he barged past the double doors leading to the ER. They grabbed his arms and tried to drag him back out into the hallway.

"Sir you cannot be in here!" shouted one of the nurses, "We're going to have to ask that you return to the waiting room!"

"Who is that?" shouted Brooks as he looked past them toward a room where several people were putting on surgical gloves and masks while a few others worked feverishly over a man lying on a stretcher, "Who the hell is that? Is his name John Carlson?"

"Sir, please go back to the waiting room…"

"NO!" screamed Brooks as desperation and fury filled his gaze, "If that's John Carlson I have to know! This is all my fault! I have to…I have to see him!"

The nurses glanced at each other, frowning as they hesitated to answer. Finally one of the nurses sighed and glanced down at the ground as she replied.

"Yes sir…the ID we found in the man's wallet said that his name is John Carlson. He was in a brown Jeep Grand Cherokee and he was reported to be driving erratically. His jeep was totaled…he was hit by a rather large Ford pick-up truck."

"Oh my god," muttered Brooks as he felt another wave of nausea overwhelm him, "Oh my god…is he…is he going to…?"

"We can't say anything about that," said the other nurse, "He is bleeding heavily but he's in the operating room now so the doctors will be working on him for a while. Now, please…let me escort you back to the waiting room. We'll come find you when this is over. Are you family?"

Brooks shook his head, a sudden feeling of numbness taking over his whole body as he walked slowly back to the waiting room with the nurses, "No…no we…we play for the Washington Capitals. He's…he's my teammate. And…we got into a really bad argument…and he left…he was so angry…oh my god this is all my fault…"

Brooks felt his knees give out as an overwhelming wave of nausea overwhelmed him. Suddenly everything around him grew hazy and then everything turned black…

…

"Hey man," said Mike Green when he saw Brooks was waking up, "You okay?"

Brooks blinked in surprise as he tried to adjust to his new surroundings, "Yeah…where the hell am I?"

"Some nurses said you passed out in the hallway…you were puking everywhere," said Mike as he glanced away nervously, "They brought you in here…to make sure you were okay."

Brooks glanced over Mike's shoulder and saw Ashley standing in the doorframe. Her face was pale and she refused to make eye-contact with him. That sent another wave of anxiety and guilt surging through Brooks.

"Ashley…" he said quietly.

Ashley glanced up at him, "Hey…glad to see you're okay."

Brooks nodded numbly, "Yeah…yeah I'll be fine. It's not me I'm worried about. I…I'm so sorry, Ashley. I…I never wanted any of this to happen."

Ashley looked away again, "It's not your fault, Brooks. It was an accident. He shouldn't have been out driving if he was that worked up."

Brooks saw her try to discreetly wipe a tear from her eye and he felt his throat tighten up. He hated seeing her upset…especially when it was something that he had done. And he couldn't think of anything worse than what he had done.

"Brooks you can't blame yourself," said Mike quietly as he gazed sadly at his best friend, "It…it wasn't your fault. I talked to the doctors. They said that the guy that hit John was drunk and he ran the red light."

"But he wouldn't have ever left the hospital if it wasn't for me," said Brooks, looking dejected.

"If you really want to blame anyone," said Mike with a slight smile, "Blame my crazy ex-girlfriend. If she hadn't cut Nicole with a knife none of us would be here right now."

Brooks forced a faint smile, "Yeah…yeah I guess that's true. How's Nicole doing?"

"She's fine," said Mike, "The doctors said that they want her to stick around for a couple more hours for observation but then she's free to leave. She's a little weak and annoyed with being in the hospital bed, but she's okay."

"And…and John?" asked Brooks as he swallowed the bile that rose up in his throat.

"They won't tell us anything," said Mike quietly as he cast an anxious glance over his shoulder at Ashley who glanced away quickly, "So, um…yeah we're still waiting for word on him."

Brooks nodded, "Okay…well I think I'm gonna go wait in the waiting room with the rest of the guys. I…I want to be around when the doctors tell us what's going on."

Mike nodded, "Yeah I'll go with you."

"I'll go check on Nicole," muttered Ashley as she quickly left the room. She knew it wasn't Brooks' fault that this happened and it was obvious that it was eating Brooks alive, but she just couldn't be around him right now. She needed to be far away from Brooks Laich and the whole drama between him and John for a while. She retreated to her best friend's hospital room and sat with her while they waited for news on John Carlson…

…

Please Review!

Also, after this story I'm gonna work on a new Deadliest Catch story : ) It's been awhile and I know several people want me to work on one so I think I will! I will be out of town again starting Thursday through Sunday but I should be able to keep writing up until then. So most likely the Deadliest Catch story will begin next week. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	11. Time Runs Out

Brooks Laich sat down after a couple hours of pacing in the waiting room and put his head down in his hands. The rest of the team watched him, frowning in concern as they saw his shoulders shake a little with emotion.

Mike Green sighed as he sat down next to his best friend and put an arm around him in silent comfort. After a few minutes, Nicole and Ashley came out to join them. Mike jumped up and gave Nicole a hug.

"They cleared you?" he asked as he studied her face for confirmation.

Nicole nodded and gave him a strained smile, "Yeah…yeah I'm fine…just tired," she said with a sigh as she glanced over at Ashley. During the past couple hours she and Ashley had discussed the situation with Brooks and John and Nicole feared that things had gotten way out of hand. Once John was okay again Ashley agreed to sit down with him and Brooks and talk things out. It was time for Ashley to decide who she wanted…leading them both on and having them fight constantly was just getting way out of control. Things needed to end and fast.

"Any word yet?" asked Ashley anxiously as she glanced around the waiting room.

Semin sighed and shook his head, "Nope…nothing."

"What the hell is taking so long?" asked a very scared looking Mathieu Perreault, "This is ridiculous…I wanna make sure Johnnie's okay!"

"Easy there, rookie," said Arnott quietly, "They'll let us know when they're good and ready. Patience."

Perreault muttered a string of curse words about the word 'patience' as he collapsed in a nearby chair with a frustrated sigh.

Brooks Laich glanced up at Ashley and felt the gnawing pain in his gut again when he saw the pain and confusion in her eyes. How could he have been so stupid? He should have backed off...John was right. He had seen her first, he had danced with her first. But deep down Brooks knew he couldn't have let Ashley go so easily. Something about her was just so different from the other girls he had been interested in. This was the kind of girl he could see himself waking up to each and every morning. He sighed in frustration at his own confusion as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes. He tried to remember the last time he'd had a decent night sleep and that only irritated him further. He was dead tired and just desperately wanted things to go back to normal.

Just then, the doctor walked in, jolting Brooks from his dismal thoughts. The team searched the doctor's face for an answer and they all felt a cold sense of dread as they gazed at the solemn looking doctor. His lips were pressed into a tight line and his forehead was wrinkled with the stress of the message he was forced to deliver to the crowded waiting room.

"You all are here for Mr. Carlson, is that right?" asked the doctor quietly as he gazed sadly over all of them.

"Yeah," croaked out Brooks Laich as he felt his throat go dry at the doctor's demeanor.

"I'm very sorry," began the doctor, "We've done all we can but I'm afraid that Mr. Carlson's organs were badly damaged in the accident. He has internal bleeding and several other injuries that we cannot fix completely. He…he is expected to pass away within the next hour or so. Again…I'm very sorry. We tried as hard as we could…"

"No," choked Brooks as he gripped the arm rest of his chair until his knuckles turned white, "No…no….no, God no…"

Ovechkin put his head down in his hands in despair while Backstrom numbly put an arm around Semin as they tried to comfort one another. Matt Bradley and Arnott put their arms around Perreault who burst into sobs at the news that his best friend wouldn't pull through. Mike Green wrapped his arms around Nicole who had begun to cry as Ashley felt her knees give out under her. She collapsed onto the floor and tried to hold back her sobs.

"I…I have to talk to him," said Brooks, his voice deep and uneven, "Please…"

The doctor nodded, "Sure…but make it fast. I'm sure the others would like to see him too."

Brooks nodded numbly as he followed the doctor back into the ER. He trembled as he walked into John's room. There was blood everywhere. The nurses were working quickly to clean it up but Brooks had seen enough to know that John didn't have much more time here on this earth. He walked slowly over to the edge of the bed, his entire body shaking with grief, regret and guilt as he gazed down at John.

John Carlson's eyes flitted open and then widened a little in shock as he gazed up at Brooks Laich.

"Hey, man," he croaked out in a weak, low voice, "Kinda surprised you'd be the first…"

Brooks couldn't contain his tears any longer. He knelt by the bed and started to sob uncontrollably. John Carlson seemed startled by Brooks' reaction. He reached over and lightly patted his teammate's hand.

"No, come on," he said quietly, "Don't do that shit…please…"

"It's my fault, Johnnie," said Brooks, his voice shaking with emotion, "I shouldn't have hit you like that…oh my god…I put you in this bed. I did this…"

"You didn't make me leave the hospital," argued Carlson, "That was my choice…the guy…the guy that hit me was drunk. It was his fault."

"I should have backed off," continued Brooks, his guilt overflowing, "I should have never taken Ashley from you. I was wrong…I was so wrong. And…and I'm so sorry. I should be on this bed for what I've done…not you."

"Oh shit, Brooks shut the fuck up," growled Carlson, "Stop it…don't you dare blame yourself for what…for what's happening. Alright? Ashley needs you now…she's gonna need someone to be there for her when…"

Brooks started sobbing again, "I'll never forgive myself for doing this to you…and I don't think Ashley will either. And I don't blame her…everytime she looks at me she'll just see the man who…who killed you…"

"If I had enough energy to get out of this bed and kick your ass I would," growled Carlson as he narrowed his eyes at Brooks, "Stop…I don't blame you…I blame the asshole who was driving drunk. Ashley will forgive you because you didn't do this…she'll just need time. It'll be okay, Brooks. I promise…everything will be okay."

"Excuse me," said the doctor as he walked in, "The two ladies and the rest of the team would like to see Mr. Carlson now if you two are done?"

Carlson nodded at the doctor then turned back to Brooks, "Go take care of yourself…and Ashley, okay?"

Brooks nodded numbly, "I'm sorry," he whispered as he turned and made a bee-line for the door. He pushed past the rest of the team and ran through the waiting room and out into the parking lot. He fumbled with the lock on his door, his hands shaking furiously as he finally unlocked the door. He climbed inside and leaned on the steering wheel as sobs began to rack his tired body…

…

Please Review!


	12. Remembering

_One Year Later…_

After John Carlson passed away the Washington Capitals cancelled the rest of their concerts they had planned. It didn't feel right to continue on with the concerts without John there. Besides that, Brooks Laich had fallen apart completely. He literally went off the grid and didn't make contact with Ashley or any of the Capitals players for months on end. Everyone left him alone, figuring that he needed time to reconcile with himself and accept what had happened to Carlson. Mike Green took it the hardest. He missed his best friend desperately but knew that this was probably best for him at the moment. For now he would have to be patient and wait for Brooks to come around on his own.

The NHL lockout had been resolved and the NHL season was about to be underway. Mike had given Nicole and Ashley tickets to the opening game. They had ice-level seats in the corner, giving them a perfect view of the entire rink.

Nicole was ecstatic to see her now-fiancé play for the first time in over a year. Ashley, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. She hadn't seen or heard from Brooks Laich since that horrible day a year ago when John Carlson died. She felt her heart ache just thinking about that day. It had been bad enough losing John, but when Brooks went MIA Ashley wasn't sure she would be able to hold it together. She partially blamed herself for what had happened but, with Nicole and Mike's help, she accepted that there wasn't really anything she could have done to stop this. Things happen for a reason and she had finally begun to accept that fact and move on with her life. She could only hope and pray that Brooks had done the same…

…

_Capitals Locker Room – One Hour Before Game-Time_

"Time to whoop some Lightning ass!" shouted Perreault as he came gallivanting into the locker room.

Andrew Gordon laughed at his friend. He had been called up from the Hershey Bears to replace John Carlson. He and Mathieu Perreault had also been life-long friends and Gordon's presence had greatly helped Perreault grieve and move on after John's passing. The three young players had been friends for years and it was nice for Perreault to have Gordon around to talk to when he needed extra help.

"Just get Ovechkin to hit St. Louis," laughed Backstrom, "220 pounds of Russian steel slamming into little St. Louis would crush him!"

Semin laughed loudly at that, "I would seriously pay to see that!"

Ovechkin just laughed and began to charge at Backstrom, demonstrating how that scene would play out. Backstrom cried out in pain as Ovechkin slammed him into the lockers. The two friends began to wrestle and punch each other as the rest of the team tried to get out of the way.

"Okay, Ovi!" shouted Arnott with a laugh, "Don't kill your wingman! We need you both tonight!"

Brooks Laich watched his team's antics quietly from the far corner of the locker room. He put on his pads quietly and began to lace up his skates. His eyes were glazed and distant as he remembered a time two years ago when the team had been acting up like this…

"_Ahhhh!" screamed a very frightened-looking John Carlson, "Help!"_

_Brooks Laich raised a surprised eyebrow as he watched Carlson run half-naked around the locker room, trying to evade the attacking Russians: Ovechkin, Semin and Varlamov. The three Russians were chasing the young rookie with pies in their hands, laughing gleefully. _

"_You guys are just cruel," smirked Brooks as John tried to hide behind him, "Leave the poor kid alone! It's his first night!"_

_Ovechkin just laughed evilly as he and Semin cornered Carlson and the three Russians pelted him with shaving cream pies. John Carlson cried out in protest as the Russians leapt away, laughing hysterically at their successful rookie-hazing operation._

_Brooks smirked as he watched Carlson try to wipe away the shaving cream from his eyes._

"_Oh, god this stings! Shit!" cursed Carlson as he tried to blink the shaving cream out of his bloodshot eyes._

_Brooks grabbed a towel and walked over to the struggling rookie. He began to wipe the shaving cream away from the kid's face, laughing a little as he did so._

"_Hey at least that's all they've done," said Brooks, "It could be worse."_

_Carlson muttered something under his breath before he replied, "Thanks…this crap really hurts when it gets in your eyes."_

_Brooks smirked, "Yeah it does. Sometimes I think those three have forgotten what that feels like. Care to help me remind them?"_

_Carlson's bloodshot eyes suddenly shone with mischief as he nodded in agreement, "Hell yeah! You got enough shaving cream for all three?"_

_Carlson's eyes widened in surprise as Brooks turned to his locker and reached back behind a jacket and pulled out five canisters._

"_I'm always well-stocked…just in case."_

"_Dude…you're freaking awesome," said Carlson with a huge grin plastered on his face._

_Brooks just smiled as he put an arm around the rookie's shoulders and the two left the locker room to hunt down the three Russian offenders…_

"Hey," said Mike Green as he sat down next to Brooks, "You alright? You were kinda staring into space there for a minute."

Mike had been intensely worried about his best friend. They hadn't talked except for the pre-season practices and that was just about business.

"Uh, yeah sorry…I was just remembering…you, you remember that time Ovi, Sasha and Varly attacked Johnnie with shaving cream pies?"

Mike blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected for Brooks to bring up John Carlson ever again, "Um, yeah…yeah that was before his first big game right?"

Brooks nodded, a wistful smile on his face, "Yeah…they got him good too."

"And then you helped him get revenge," said Mike with a laugh, "I've never heard Ovechkin scream like a girl until then…that was great."

Brooks laughed, "Yeah…those were the good old days. I miss them…a lot."

Mike sighed as he saw the familiar shadow of sorrow fall over Brooks' face.

"Those days will come back, Brooks," he said quietly, "It just takes time…it'll take time for all of us to get back to normal. But we gotta keep moving on. It's what Johnnie would have wanted."

Brooks nodded, forcing back the emotion that was threatening to clog his throat, "Yeah…yeah I know."

"You know Ashley's out there right?" asked Mike after a moment, "I gave her and Nicole tickets."

Brooks looked up at that. He hadn't spoken to Ashley since…since _that_ night.

"Oh…yeah? That's, um, that's good," stammered Brooks, unsure as to what to say to that.

"You should talk to her," said Mike quietly, "I'm sure she'd like that. Nicole said Ashley hasn't really been the same since…since John died. She said she misses talking to you. Maybe you should give it a shot?"

Brooks felt every muscle in his body tense up at that, "She wouldn't want to talk to me, Mike," he mumbled, "She probably hates me for what I did."

"You didn't do anything," hissed Mike in frustration, "God, Brooks even Johnnie told you that! You have to let that go…please…just talk to her. After the game maybe? Come with me…I gave them passes to come back after the game. We can see them both then. Maybe go out for drinks or something."

Brooks frowned, "I don't know Mikey…I'll…I'll think about it."

Mike nodded, "Fair enough…let's go kick Martin St. Squirt's ass and then we'll talk about it some more."

Brooks couldn't help but smirk at that. He nodded in agreement and followed his best friend out onto the ice. His heart pounded furiously in a combination of anxiety about the Caps first game in over a year and the possibility of seeing Ashley later that night…

…

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	13. Moving On

The Capitals filed back into the locker room at the end of the third period, screaming and hollering and throwing their pads and helmets all over the place in excitement. They had destroyed the Lightning six to zero. The first game of the season and it had been a total and complete shut out. The team was ecstatic and the locker room buzzed with positive energy for the first time in a very long time.

"They're gonna be waiting out in the hall behind the locker room," said Mike as he made his way over to Brooks, "So we gotta hurry…if you still wanted to come."

Brooks swallowed as his throat suddenly became dry. He hesitated but nodded slightly, much to his best friend's delight.

They changed out and showered quickly before they left. Mike was still adjusting his fohawk as they rounded the corner and saw the two young women waiting for them. Nicole was beaming with happiness as she ran over and hugged her fiancé. Mike had scored two of the six goals that night and Nicole was beside herself with excitement on his behalf.

"I'm engaged to the NHL's best defenseman!" she announced as she kissed him.

Mike laughed as he kissed her back, "Well…I don't know about _that_," he said, in a failed attempt to be modest.

Nicole rolled her eyes at him as she hugged him, glancing over to where Brooks was slowly approaching a nervous-looking Ashley.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi, Brooks," replied Ashley with a slight smile, "How are you?"

Brooks hesitated and glanced away, "I've…been better. But I suppose you have too. I…I'm really sorry I disappeared like I did. I just…I couldn't…I wouldn't have been able to face you so soon after…after what happened."

Ashley frowned sadly at that, "Brooks, you know I don't blame you for that right?" she asked, her voice cracking a little with emotion, "Everything happens for a reason…and I know we'll all miss him…but he's in a better place now. He's at peace…and he'd want all of us to be too."

Brooks swallowed back the emotion that rose up in his throat as he heard Ashley free him from the emotional ball and chain he'd been dragging around for so long. Hearing her of all people say it wasn't his fault…that it was okay to move on…felt like he was being released from a prison. He sighed wearily as he felt the moisture begin to fill his eyes.

"Thank you," he choked out, his voice low and rough with emotion.

Ashley moved forward suddenly, wrapping her arms around Brooks, "Everything's going to be okay again…I promise," she whispered.

In that moment, Brooks couldn't remember ever feeling so free and alive in his life. The guilt began to wash away and in its place was a life full of promise and hope. He felt a sudden desire to move forward…to leave the past behind him and to move on with his own life. Johnnie was gone, but Brooks was still there…Ashley was still there.

"Do you…do you want to go somewhere?" asked Brooks after a moment.

Ashley pulled back from their embrace for a moment to look up at him, "Yeah…yeah I'd like that a lot."

Brooks smiled a real, genuine smile for the first time in a year as he felt a flash of warmth course through his body. Ashley slipped her hand into his and let him lead her toward the exit. Brooks glanced over and saw an abandoned soccer ball sitting next to the far wall and smiled to himself as he had a flashback to when the team used to play soccer before every game as part of their warm up routine. John Carlson had been the best one out of all of them at keeping the ball in the air, never letting it touch the ground. He loved playing soccer with the guys. Brooks had a flashback of all of them in a circle, kicking the ball up in the air and hitting it with their heads in a desperate attempt to keep it off the ground. He remembered John Carlson's laugh and infectious smile as he played with his teammates. His carefree antics and laughing eyes…

"Brooks?" asked Ashley, looking concerned when she saw that Brooks had stopped walking and had a faraway look in his eyes, "You okay?"

Brooks shook his head, clearing his thoughts, "What? Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm ready now…let's get out of here."

Ashley smiled as she put an arm around Brooks. He smiled down at her, glancing over his shoulder one last time at the abandoned soccer ball…John Carlson's carefree, happy laugh still ringing in his ears as he walked out of the Verizon Center and into his new life…

…

THE END

Please Review!

I was on a writing spree today! So that means I will be working on my new Deadliest Catch story either later tonight or tomorrow : )


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